Book contains helpful lessons on effects of booms, busts

Regarding The Repository's Nov. 10 special report "Responding to the boom: The shale drilling boom has buoyed the economies of eastern Ohio counties, but rural volunteer fire departments are struggling":

"Pithole, the Vanished City: A Story of the Early Days of the Petroleum Industry," by William Culp Darrah (1972), is a book every politician, fire chief and township trustee should read, about the effects of boom and bust.

It's a story of a Pennsylvania town in the early days of oil that went from boom to bust. It speaks to not collecting taxes and not having enough fire equipment to fight fires.

As I read The Repository about the new boom in the oil fields, I'm reminded of the lessons in this book. It's out of print but can be found online in used book stores.